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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Didactyl tracks of paravian theropods (maniraptora) from the? Middle Jurassic of Africa
PLoS ONE, Volume 6, No. 2, Article e14642, Year 2011
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Description
Background: A new dinosaur tracksite from? Middle Jurassic sediments of the Irhazer Group on the plains of Agadez (Rep. Niger, northwest Africa) revealed extraordinarily well preserved didactyl tracks of a digitigrade bipedal trackmaker. The distinct morphology of the pes imprints indicates a theropod trackmaker from a paravian maniraptoran closely related to birds. Methodology/Principal Findings: The early age and the morphological traits of the tracks allow for description of the new ichnotaxon Paravipus didactyloides. A total of 120 tracks are assigned to 5 individual trackways. The 'medium-sized' tracks with an average footprint length of 27.5 cm and footprint width of 23.1 cm are deeply imprinted into the track bearing sandstone. Conclusions/Significance: A comparison with other didactyl tracks gives new insights into the foot morphology of advanced maniraptoran theropods and contributes to knowledge of their evolutionary history. The new ichnotaxon takes an important position in the ichnological fossil record of Gondwana and the mid-Jurassic biota worldwide, because it is among the earliest known records of paravian maniraptorans and of didactyl theropod tracks from Africa. © 2011 Mudroch et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Mudroch, Alexander
Germany, Hannover
Initiative of Independent Palaeobiologists
Richter, Ute
Germany, Hannover
Initiative of Independent Palaeobiologists
Joger, Ulrich
Germany, Braunschweig
Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum Braunschweig
Kosma, Ralf
Germany, Braunschweig
Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum Braunschweig
Idé, Oumarou Amadou
Niger, Niamey
Universite Abdou Moumouni
Maga, Abdoulaye
Niger, Niamey
Universite Abdou Moumouni
Statistics
Citations: 31
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0014642
e-ISSN:
19326203
Study Locations
Niger